Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

Your Guide

The Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial, which is found on the northwest side of the Tidal Basin, is in direct line between the Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials, where its location accentuates King’s story in the history of our nation. Numerous elements of the memorial are based on King’s speeches. The gap in the Mountain of Despair, which symbolizes obstacles to justice, provides a view of the Stone of Hope, which is also lined up with the Jefferson Memorial. The gap provides the main entrance to the memorial. The very much larger-than-life statue of King in the 28-foot-tall Stone of Hope emerges as resolute and thoughtful as he gazes toward Jefferson.

History:

The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity proposed the construction of a memorial to Martin Luther King, Jr. following his assassination in 1968.

In 1986, King’s birthday was designated a national holiday, giving momentum to commemoration.

Construction for the memorial was authorized by Congress in 1996. A design competition for the new monument and its landscape was won by ROMA Design. The design-build project was completed in 2011.

The memorial was dedicated on August 28, 2011, the 48th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, but the public celebration was delayed until mid-October because of a hurricane.

A Symbolic Address

The official address of the memorial, 1964 Independence Avenue, SW, commemorates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Image: American Society of Landscape Architects

Gap in the Mountain of Despair

The memorial’s location in West Potomac Park forms a visual “line of leadership” from the Lincoln Memorial to the Jefferson Memorial.

Image: American Society of Landscape Architects

Plantings

A combination of seat walls and curbs define planting area to make them easy to maintain. Oehme, van Sweden’s design for the site employs the sound of cascading water, which draws visitor attention before it becomes visible.

Image: American Society of Landscape Architects

King in the Stone of Hope

Martin Luther King, Jr. is the first African-American to be memorialized on the National Mall, and the fourth non-President, joining George Mason, John Paul Jones, and John Ericsson.

Image: National Park Service

Flowering Cherry Trees

In keeping with the rest of the Tidal Basin, the memorial includes extensive plantings of Yoshino cherry blossom trees, their blossoming period coinciding with the anniversary of King’s assassination.

Image: National Park Service

Accessible to All

Ample seating is provided while curb shapes prevent activities that damage stone, such as skateboarding. Justice and civil rights are also emphasized, with no steps or physical barriers to people with disabilities in the memorial.

Image: American Society of Landscape Architects

Unique Fonts

A text font was developed to use for all memorial inscriptions.

Image: American Society of Landscape Architects

Inscription Wall

A curved inscription wall extends to each side of the Mountain of Despair, which is flanked by two fountains.